I hear and read all the time that iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value or that it is simply crunchy water. I beg to differ. One large head of ice berg lettuce provides a very respectable 9 grams of fiber and …. wait for it….7 grams of protein!
It also provides 76% of a day’s requirement for Vitamin A , 35% of a day’s requirement for Vitamin C, 14% of a day’s requirement for Calcium and 17% of a day’s requirement for Iron. It is also a good source for thiamin, Vitamin B6, potassium, folate, and manganese and is low in sodium and has NO saturated fat, trans fats, or cholesterol. In a nutritional target map, it ranks at the top of the “more filling” range and at the top of the “more nutritious” range.
If you were to get all of your day’s calories from iceberg lettuce alone (even if we use a very conservative total of 1200 calories) you would get 84 g of protein and meet or exceed the recommended daily intake for nearly every other nutrient. Okay, Okay, you would need to eat 12 large heads of lettuce to do that but hey Iceberg lettuce is no nutritional lightweight – Help me clear its reputation while you enjoy the crunch!
Iceberg lettuce was recently discovered to contain a cool compound called apogen, which has some anti-cancerbenefits benefits. In fact, along with celery, parsley, and thyme, it is one of the richest sources.